Fireproof construction.



Patented Mar. 6, 1900 w z 4 9, 4 4 .6 O N FIBEPRUOF CONSTRUCTION.

(Application filed Sept. 6, 1898.) (No Model.)

THE ucams PETERS co, PHoYoMmQ, WASHINGTON, a c,

WILLIAM can, or TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW Jiinsnr WIRE CLOTH COMPANY, on SAME PLACE.

FIREPROOF CONSTRUCTION.

3PZECII IGA'I It)1\l' forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,942, dated March 6, 1900. Application filed September 6, 189 8. Serial No. 690,319. (No model.)

To whom it 772/017] concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ORR, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Trenton, county of Mercer, and State of New Jersey, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Fireproof Constructions, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to fireproof ceilings togetherwith certain features of construction and combinations of parts in fireproof-ceilin g construction, all asfully described hereinaf ter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, in which my invention is shown as applied in the preferred forms to a ceiling construction, Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section showing three common I-beams and a suspended ceiling, the two beams at the end of the ceiling-rods being shown and an intermediate beam.' Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are cross-sections respectively on lines 2, 3, and 4, with the lathing and fireproof material omitted. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction. Fig. 6 shows a single beam with another modified form of hanger.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, A A A are three I-beams, from which are suspended by hangers the ceiling-rods B and the fireproof ceiling composed of the metallic lathing O and plaster D. The lathing O is shown as of the common woven-wire form and attached to the ceilings-rods B by wire ties 1 at suitable intervals; but it will be understood that all the parts of the ceiling construction may be of any suitable form other than tltftshown, the invention residing in the hangers by which the ceilingis suspended from the beams and their combination With the features of the ceiling construction which are not dependent upon the specific form of the latter. Referring now to the hangers by which the ceiling-rods B are supported, the hangers of my invention are used at the ends of the ceiling-rods to support the longitudi nal tension upon the rods resulting from the weight of the ceiling and from the tension upon the rods independently of the ceiling in case the rods be put under longitudinal tension by drawing them up tight by nuts or otherwise, as is preferable in such ceiling constructions and as fully described and claimed in my former Letters Patent, No. 425,245. As shown, the ceiling-rods B extend from the beam A to the beam A one intermediate beam A being shown, although it will be un= derstood that the ceiling-rods may be of any suitable length with any desired number of intermediate beams, as indicated by the broken construction of the ceiling between the beams A A The preferred form of my hanger is shown at the left of Fig. l in connection with the beam A, in which the hanger b is formed of a piece of metal rod or heavy wire of suitable length and of any suitable form in cross-section, this piece of rod being bent at one end, so as to form a hook 2, overlapping upon the upper side of the bottom flange of the beam,and an intermediate depending loop 3, one arm of which extends from the hook 2 and is preferably inclined in the direction of the pull upon the rod B, and the other arm of which loop extends upward and engages by its end the under side of the bottom flange, this arm preferably being inclined slightly in the opposite direction to the pull upon the rod B. Within the loops 3 of the hangers b,- which in the construction now being described open longitudinally of the beams, is support ed a rod 0, over which are hooked at suitable distances apart the ceiling-rods B, which are shown as provided with hooks 4 at this end. At the opposite end of the rods B and in connection with beam A I have shown a modi fied form of hanger which is adapted forre ceiving the ends of the rods B directly and providing for the use of the tension-nuts 5, which are shown as used at this end of the rods B, the construction illustrated employing tension ceiling-rods, as in my Letters Patent No. 425,245 above referred to. In this construction of hanger the intermediate loop opens transversely to the beam, the loop 6 being formed by bending the rod longitudinally of the beam to form the bottom end of the loop and then forming the arms of the loop in the same manner as in the case of the loop 3 on the hangerpreviously described, except that the arms of the loop lie in parallel planes transversely to the beam instead of in the same plane, as is clear from Figs. 2 and 4. In this construction I have shown the short arm of the loop 6 as provided with an extension 7, which lies along the under side of the bottom flange from the point where the end of the arm strikes the bottom of the flange and is hooked over the opposite bottomflange in the same manner as in connection with the hook 2 on the longer arm embracing the opposite flange. The ceiling-rods B may be supported from the intermediate beams otherwise; but I have shown a simple and cheap hanger which is preferably used, this hanger 0 consisting of a metal rod or large wire similar to that of the hangers b and formed at its ends with hooks 8, embracing the opposite flanges of the beam, and a depending intermediate loop 9, opening transversely to the beam and through which the ceiling-rod Bis passed, so as to be supported vertically thereby, it being understood that my improved tension-hangerneed not be used on these intermediate beams, as the longitudinal tension on the rods is supported at their ends. The ceiling-rods B and the ceiling formed of the lathing O and plaster D are thus officiently supported at any desired distance from the beams, the distance of the ceiling below the beams being readily secured in the construction by the formation of the hangers b c, the length of the depending loops positively determining the position of the ceiling-rods and ceiling. The tension upon the rods 13 is efficiently supported by the pull upon the arms having the hooks 2 and the engagement of the otherarms of the loops with the under side of the beams, which holds the hooks rigidly against the pull of the rods B and ceiling supported thereby. The hanger shown at the left in Fig. 1 with only one end hooked over the flange of the beam is an especially cheap, simple, and efiicient form of tension-hanger with the loop opening longitudinally of the beam.

It will be understood that if the bottoms of successive beams are in the same horizontal plane or an inclined construction is to be supported from level beams the desired position of the ceiling or other construction relatively to the beam is readily secured by varying the length of the hanger-loops on the successive beams according to the result desired.

It will be understood also that in some cases it may be desirable to use my improved hanger on some of the beams where it is desired to drop the ceiling construction below the beams and clips or hangers of some other suitable construction on other beams. In Fig. 5 I have shown for the purpose of illustration a construction in which the beam A extends below the beam A, and a level ceiling is formed by using on beam A a clip d, supporting the ceiling-rod 13 close to the bottom of the beam, the rods being passed through openings in the clips d and drawn up by tension-nuts 5, as in the construction previously described. From the beam A the ceiling-rods B are dropped to the desired level by tension-hangers and a construction similar to that shown at the left of Fig. 1, with the longitudinal rods 0 passed through the loops of the hangers b and the ceiling-rods B hooked about them. In this construction, however, I have shown a slightlymodified form of hanger which is the same as the hanger 1), shown in connection with beam A in Fig. 1, except that the short arm of the loop 3 is provided with a portion 10, which extends along the bottom of the beam from the point where the end of the short arm engages the underside of the beam and is hooked around the flange of the beam in the same manner as the hook 2 on the opposite flange or the hook formed on extension 7 of the hanger shown in connection with beam A in Fig. 1.

In Fig. (i I have shown another modified form of hanger in which both ends of the rod forming the hanger are provided with hooks 2, overlapping the opposite-flanges of the beam and extending inwardly in contact with the under side of the beam to approximately the center of the beam, where the loop 3 isv formed by straight depending arms, the loop opening longitudinally of the beam, as in the other constructions shown in connection with beam A. This form of hanger is not so efficient in supporting the tension of the rods D as the forms previously described with one or both of the loop-arms inclined, but includes certain features of my invention, as hereinafter claimed. The longitudinal rod 0 may be used in connection with this hanger, as in connection with those previously described; but I have shown for the purpose of illustra tion the ceiling-rods B as hooked directly through the loops 3 by the hooks 4, which construction may be used and the longitudinal rods 0 omitted.

It will be understood that while I have shown constructions employing devices for adjusting the tension on the ceiling-rods B and drawing them up tight, so as to prevent sagging under the weight of the ceiling, the invention is not limited to constructions in which tension devices are used; but my improved tension-hangers may be used with rods mounted therein in any suitable manner, so that the hangers support the tension upon the rods resulting either from the Weight of the ceiling or otherwise.

What is claimed isl. A hanger consisting of a inejalrod or strip formed to hook over a beam-nange or similar surface and having an intermediate depending loop which loop is adapted to receive and support the pull on a rod or strip for the support of a ceiling or similar con struction and with one loop-arm inclinedfrom the hook in the direction of the pull on the rod and the upper end of the other loop-arm engaging the under side of the beam and inclined at a small angle to the Vertical in a direction opposite to that of the pull upon the rod, substantially as described.

2. A hanger consisting of a metal rod or strip having one end formed to hook over a beam-flange or similar surface and having an intermediate depending loop which loop is adapted to receive and support the pull on a rod or strip for the support of a ceiling or similar construction and With one loop-arminclined from the hook in the direction of the pull on the rod and the other end of the hanger rod or strip bearing against the under side of the beam at the upper end of the other loop-arm, said last-mentioned loop-arm being inclined at a small angle to the Vertical in a direction opposite to that of the pull upon the rod, substantially as described.

8. A hanger consisting of a metal rod or strip formed to hook over a beam-flange or similar surface and having an intermediate depending loop which loop is adapted to receive and support the pull on a rod or strip for the support of a ceiling or similar construction and with one loop-arm inclined from the hook in the direction of the pull on the rod and the upper end of the other loop-arm engaging the under side of the beam and inclined at a small angle to the vertical in a di- 4.. The combination with the flanged beams A, of hangers 1) formed of metal rods or strips having an end bent to embrace the flange of the beams and forming an intermediate de- 5 ceiling-rods supported by and only at the bottom of said loops below the beams, and a ceil ing supported by said ceiling-rods, substan tially as described.

5. The combination with the flanged beams A, of hangers 19 formed of metal rods or strips 5 5 having an end bent to embrace the flange of the beams and to form an intermediate depending loop with one loop-arm inclined from the hook in the direction of the pull on the hanger, ceiling-rods supported by and only at the bottom of said loops below the beams,

and a ceiling of metallic lathing and plastic I material supported by said ceiling-rods, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the flanged beams A, of hangers 1) formed of metal rods or strips having an end bent to embrace the flange of the beams and to form an intermediate depending loop opening longitudinally of the beams, rods extending longitudinally of the beams and passed through said loops, ceilingrods hooked over said rods and extending transversely to the beams, and a ceiling of metallic lathing and plastic material supported by said ceiling rods, substantially as described.

, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM ORR.

Witnesses:

EDWIN W. ARNOLD, WILLIAM K. Porn. 

